


Like Candlelight

by timegoesby



Category: No. 6 - All Media Types
Genre: Amnesia, I am winging this tbh, Light Angst, M/M, more tags to come
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-16
Updated: 2016-10-29
Packaged: 2018-08-22 17:11:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8293540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/timegoesby/pseuds/timegoesby
Summary: He slowly brought his hand up to Shion's face, cleared his hair away and gently touched his forehead. He didn't seem to have a fever anymore. More good news. Nezumi let his fingers trail down to his cheek, feeling the soft skin, interrupted once or twice by rugged scar lines that were in the process of healing.
He was relieved.
...
"Are you being serious?" he asked after what felt like an eternity.
Shion shrunk down and apologised quietly. "I'm sorry... you're probably tired from looking after me, it's just—"
"Not that. Do you really not know who I am?"





	1. Chapter 1

Shion found himself sprawled on the floor, barely conscious, his head and sides throbbing in pain.

He couldn't remember much of how he got there, his head was fuzzy and his thoughts felt fleeting and unfocused. The only clear thing in his mind was the sharp stab of pain he felt when he tried to move. In a way he was grateful for that—it meant he wasn't dead, at least not yet.

After a few moments of laying there, trying to make his breathing as painless as possible, he started to distinguish voices coming from above him. He didn't know who they were and could barely follow their conversation.

"-know what you've done?!"

"Taught that brat a lesson by the looks of it."

Someone laughed.

"No you idiot! Do you know who that is?"

"Does it matter? He's street filth, why should—"

"He's that Rat's pet."

There was a brief moment of silence before the room erupted in a cacophony of yells. Shion tried to understand what they were saying, but the pounding in his head made it impossible.

After a few minutes the noise died down. Shion felt relieved until he realised there were footsteps approaching him. He tried to move again, accomplishing nothing other than a pain-filled groan.

"Looks like he's awake, what do we do with him?"

"We can't have him ratting us out. You know how dangerous _he_ is."

Shion got the feeling that last sentence wasn't referring to him.

"Then what do you suggest?" 

The air was thick with the smell of blood and sweat. It was a cold evening, and yet Shion could feel a burning sensation that came along with the pain across his body.

"Dead men tell no tales."

Shion's breath hitched in his throat, making him wince. This was the end.

He'd been warned against going out, but Shion had been stubborn, dismissive. He wanted to prove that he wasn't someone who needed to be cared for, that he wasn't a burden.

As the people moved closer to Shion he thought about how wrong he'd been and realised that, just as he'd been told, he was alone this time.

He felt the first blow to his ribs and cried out in pain, curling in on himself in a feeble attempt in protection. 

The blows kept coming and Shion could do nothing to stop them. He could only endure and think what it would be like when they found his body... If someone ever did. Would anyone even look for him? Shion didn't want to bring any more inconvenience to anyone, he just hoped nobody would worry too much that he was gone. Would anyone even care, though?

As these thoughts swirled around his mind and pain kept erupting all over his body, he couldn't help but think of the handful of people he knew would care when he was gone. It was pathetic, really; he was dying and could only think of a coupe of people who would at least be bothered by it. He couldn't help but regret being a burden until the very end.

_I'm sorry._

It all became a timeless blur of pain and jumbled thoughts Shion could not make sense of. By the time darkness engulfed him he was almost relieved to be feeling nothing, a welcoming void of sound and sense. Shion let unconsciousness take control. 

It was over quickly.


	2. Chapter 2

Inukashi burst through the door of Nezumi's house with a shaggy dog trailing at their heels. They stopped for a minute at the door to look around and catch their breath. 

 

"What are you doing here? I don't welcome visitors, get out." Nezumi barely spared them a glance before dismissing them in annoyance.

"Shut up for one freakin' second!" Inukashi took another large breath and moved further inside the room to stand in front of where Nezumi was seated.

Nezumi looked like he was about to say something else, but Inukashi quickly cut him off "No shut up an' listen to me. My dog saw—he told me—it's bad!—"

"What are you going on about? Get to the point now or leave." Nezumi was not in the best of moods, he'd had a headache for a good part of the day and his irritable mood had managed to land him in another argument with Shion that same evening. Right now he just wanted Inukashi to take their filthy dog with them and leave. 

They were having none of it, though. "Nezumi I'm tryin' to tell you that Shion's in trouble!"

"Nothing he can't handle, I'm sure he'll be fine."

"Yeah, if by fine you mean unconscious an' beaten to a bloody pulp." Inukashi's words took on a tone that made Nezumi turn his head in full attention.

"What?"

"You heard me. Dogs found 'im in an alley just north of the market. Said 'e wasn't moving an' a group of people were kickin' him around... Nezumi he's in real trouble. Do somethin'." Inukashi was looking at him intently, almost pleadingly.

Part of Nezumi wanted to ask Inukashi why they cared what happened to Shion, why _he_ should care after all the warnings he'd given him. But that part was only a quiet voice in the back of his head. The other part—the part that was making him jump from his chair and rush out through the door—was enraged. Angry at Shion for being so naive and stubborn, angry at whomever thought they had the right to even lay a hand on him, and angry at himself for getting annoyed at Shion and thinking he could handle himself out there.

He didn't have to worry about directions, Inukashi's mutt quickly caught up to him and lead the way.

 

When he saw the scene Inukashi had described he nearly forgot how to breathe.

Shion was there, sprawled on the ground, motionless, with his white hair dyed red with blood.

There were others there too, standing over him, kicking, laughing, gloating.

Nezumi saw red.

As he launched himself forward he was only dimly aware of the screams of pain and the snapping of cartilage and bones, the thud of bodies hitting the ground, his own laboured breathing.

Once it was over he rushed to kneel at Shion's side. He remained still.

Nezumi lowered an ear to Shion's chest, relief flooding his cramping muscles as he heard a faint heartbeat and felt the slight movement that meant he was still breathing.

He made sure he was being as gentle as possible when he picked Shion up, holding his legs with one arm and his back with another, resting Shion's head on the crook of his neck.

He made the trip back quickly, trying not to jostle the unconscious Shion too much.

It was only when he'd gotten back to the room, placed Shion carefully in the bed, and went to look for the ancient medicine kit that he noticed the slight tremor in his own hands.

He got back to Shion tightly grasping the small metal box. Looking at him now Nezumi was surprised he wasn't angry at him. Not anymore. He looked paler than usual, his chest barely rose and fell with the breaths he took, and he was caked in dirt and blood. He looked like any other body Nezumi had seen laying around in dark alleys, those he barely spared a look at. But he could not tear his gaze away from this one.

Deep down he could feel something he couldn't quite put his finger on, almost like desperation or anger or fear.

Nezumi rummaged through the box until he found ointment and bandages, leaving briefly to find a cloth he could use to clean off the worst of the grime. During this process his mind was elsewhere, preoccupied with thoughts of the white-haired boy laying down in his bed, barely breathing and barely alive.

_Don't die_ _Shion_.

_Please._


	3. Chapter 3

Shion drifted in and out of the edge of consciousness. At moments he became aware of sound and feelings coming from outside himself, but mostly he was trapped in the murky nothingness that made up his thoughts. He felt like he was floating around in his mind, disembodied, seemingly asleep to the outside world. And really, he was in no hurry to wake up.

Most of the time he would hear voices, talking, murmuring, even shouting every once in a while. He couldn't understand them and didn't know who they belonged to, although some part of him knew they were familiar. The voices accompanied him every time he drifted close to consciousness, along with the dull wave of pain that made it's way through his body.

He really didn't feel like waking up.

Still, he found himself drifting closer to the surface than he'd ever been, and suddenly he was in control of his body again. His eyelids felt like they were stuck together with glue, his throat was so dry it was as if he'd just swallowed sand. His body didn't feel like his own yet,  it was heavy and unresponsive, and the throbbing pain that bloomed from his temple made him wish he could've stayed unconscious for longer.

He cracked open his eyes, slowly, getting used to the dim light of the room. He took in his surroundings.

He was laying on a bed—a small cot, really—and all around the room were shelves littered with books, some even spilled on the floor. There were more books in this room than he'd seen in his entire life, there were even enough to partially cover the small table and sofa that were spaced out in front of him.

Shion blinked slowly as he was struck with an air of familiarity. He tried to turn his head to get a better look around him but in that moment he heard a high-pitched squeak just behind his hear.

_Huh?_

A small brown mouse scrambled over his shoulder and sat in the bed next to his head, peering up at him with it's dark eyes and squeaking excitedly.

Shion tried to reach out and touch the mouse, but his limbs were still heavy and he was already tired from just looking around.

A door opened behind him.

"What's the matter?" Someone called out.

The mouse squeaked even louder and scurried off to the source of the voice.

Seconds later there was a figure standing over him, then gently lifting his head and arranging the pillows underneath him so he was in a more upright position.

"It's good to see you're awake Shion." They left for a second and came back, pressing something cool against his lips. "Here, drink this."

The cool water felt heavenly against his cracked lips, he wasted no time in drinking.

Standing closer Shion could see them better—could see _him_ better. After taking in aspects like his long dark hair and the soft hands that held his head in place, Shion found himself  almost transfixed by his eyes. Icy at first glance, but now they seemed to glow with something akin to relief. Their sharpness was at odds with the tired look of his features.

When he finished drinking, Shion tried to thank him, but could only croak out a couple of syllables.

"You need to rest now, don't overwork yourself."

Shion nodded feebly as he felt himself being lifted again and lowered once the pillows were in their original position. For once in a very long time he did not want to succumb to the pull of unconsciousness that reached out to him the moment his head touched the pillow, but this was a fight he'd already lost.

As he felt himself slipping away he couldn't help the flow of questions that formed within him. There were so many gaps, so many things he needed to clarify, but one of the questions that quietly poked at the back of his mind was:

_How did he know my name?_


	4. Chapter 4

When Shion went to sleep again Nezumi remained seated at the side of the bed for a very long time.

He figured being there was useless at the moment, there wasn't much he could do for a sleeping person, nothing that he hadn't already done or tried to do during the time he'd been unconscious anyways. Nezumi also figured he ought to say something to Inukashi, they'd been really worried since the day he brought Shion in from that alley, and maybe to Rikiga too, seeing as much of the medicine they used for Shion was paid for by him once he found out about the accident.

Still, he did not move.

Shion still looked awful: thin and bruised and fragile laying down on the bed covered on bandages, but at least he looked alive. Nezumi felt a strange sort of relief. He'd woken up once, he can do it again. The worst had passed.

Nezumi briefly wondered how long it would take him to recover. There had been some broken bones, he was unresponsive for days, but Shion had always been so cheerful and positive it was hard to imagine he wouldn't be able to bounce back and make a speedy recovery.

In any case Nezumi wanted to look out for him, make sure he was really alright.

He slowly brought his hand up to Shion's face, cleared his hair away and gently touched his forehead. He didn't seem to have a fever anymore. More good news. Nezumi let his fingers trail down to his cheek, feeling the soft skin, interrupted once or twice by rugged scar lines that were in the process of healing.

He was relieved.

After a couple of minutes Nezumi stood up, gathered his coat and scarf, tied his hair, and made his way to the exit. It didn't seem like Shion was waking up again today, so Nezumi was taking this opportunity to get some things done outside without worrying about being away for too long.

He also decided that, if he came across either of them, he'd let Inukashi and Rikiga know that Shion had woken earlier.

With one last glance at the figure sleeping quietly on the bed, Nezumi stepped outside and braved the cold of the streets.


	5. Chapter 5

The second time Shion woke up he barely had to look around the room to spot the dark-haired boy again. He was seated not too far from the bed, reading.

He looked up at Shion almost immediately, as if sensing he had woken, and a small smile played across his lips.

After repeating the whole process of arranging the pillows and getting him a drink, Shion found that he was feeling much better than he had the previous time.

"Tha-Thank you." Shion's voice threatened to break with disuse.

He glanced at him in acknowledgement and busied himself checking Shion's bandages.

"I, uh, what... happened?" forming complete sentences was a little harder than anticipated.

"You went out and nearly got yourself killed. Lucky for you one of Inukashi's dogs found you before any serious damage had been dealt. You were pretty beat up when I got there, but I took care of it and brought you back in one piece." He was curt, it almost sounded as if he was scolding Shion for something he'd done.

Shion immediately felt bad for having caused him so much trouble. "I'm sorry." he mumbled.

"Don't be. It already happened."

He chewed his lip nervously, regretting the motion as soon as he tasted blood from a reopened cut.

Shion still had a lot of questions he wanted answered: why had he been beat up? Why was he taking care of him? But he figured he'd already been enough of a burden an tried to settle on a way he could ask something without sounding overly irritating.

"Thank you for taking care of me... you really didn't have to do this for me, I know I'm not your responsab-" a slight wheezing sound escaped his throat and he was thrown off by a sudden coughing fit, every sudden movement lit up flares of pain across his torso.

He looked at Shion with concern, placing a hand in his shoulder to steady him. "You were out for a while, It'd probably be better to take it easy for now, until you can get back on your feet."

As Shion's cough gradually subsided, he spoke again quickly, nearly tripping over his words, determined to ask what he wanted to know without being interrupted.

"Why are you helping me? Who are you? Do we know each other?  How long have I been here? Actually, where am I?" once the barrage of questions was over he slumped down an winced, partly from the pain and also the fact he spent all his breath and energy talking.

The dark-haired boy just stared at Shion though, with an unreadable expression.

"Are you being serious?" he asked after what felt like an eternity.

Shion shrunk down and apologised quietly. "I'm sorry... you're probably tired from looking after me, it's just—"

"Not that. Do you really not know who I am?" He was staring at Shion intently.

"... It seems like we know each other, or at least like you know me, but I don't know who you are." Shion answered honestly, and immediately had to look away from his intense stare.

The staring continued for a few more seconds before he stood up and walked away from the bed.

"You should get some rest." he called out as he grabbed a scarf and wrapped it around his shoulders. "I need to do a couple of things, probably going to be back late. Don't wait up." and with that he strode towards the door.

"Wait!" Shion tried calling out, but it was barely audible. He didn't even spare Shion a glance before the door was shutting and the room was briefly filled with a cold gust of air.

Shion stared at the door for a couple of minutes, half hoping the boy would come back through so he could get a chance to apologise.

Fatigue began to set in. Shion grabbed the small cushions and pushed them aside as best as he could, laying down and burying his face in the lumpy surface and trying not to think about the hurt he'd seen in those vibrant eyes when he mentioned he had no idea who his caretaker was.

He felt awful, and he didn't really know why. This person had been so kind to him, and the minute Shion woke up he had ruined it and offended him. He felt terrible about that, and he didn't even know his name.

Shion fell asleep, hoping to find some clues in his dreams. Perhaps a familiar phrase, a memory from long ago, but his dreams were empty.

It was him and the darkness again.


	6. Chapter 6

Nezumi ran through the filthy streets until all he could think about was the cold winter air stinging his lungs. He ran until the people became scarce and the walls crumbled into nothing, until his feet became numb and he felt like falling was preferable over trying to stand.

It was dark when he came to a stop.

He sat down on the ground, breathing heavily. He felt like punching something.

Nezumi wasn't sure why he was so bothered about the situation, why he'd reacted like that. It's not like this would change much between them, they were still practically strangers. In comparison to how much he knew about Shion and his life at No. 6 before the incident he was sure Shion knew next to nothing about him. Apart from his name and that he'd been a prisoner of the city, Nezumi didn't share much of his life with others. In fact, it had been only recently Shion properly found out about his acting.

Still, Nezumi couldn't ignore the feeling in his gut that told him he was not alright. He knew he'd overreacted back there, he shouldn't have walked out on Shion like that with no explanation, but if he hadn't he really didn't know what he might have done otherwise.

He let his back drop to the ground with a dull thud and stayed motionless, staring up at the sky. He could feel the coldness of the ground seep through his clothes and press into his back.

If Shion couldn't remember who he was... maybe it was for the best. This could be Nezumi's chance to get rid of the boy, to send him back home. After all, if Shion didn't remember anything about him the city wouldn't have much reason to continue pursuing him. He should be alright if he were to return to his mother and friends.

Except Nezumi knew it wouldn't be that easy. No. 6 wouldn't give up so readily and the amnesia explanation would only deter them for so long. Shion wasn't safe inside the city walls anymore, memory loss or not.

That wasn't the only thing that concerned him though. He didn't want to send Shion off like that, it felt wrong somehow to just... let him forget about all that's happened, about his friends, his circumstances. It might be a little self-centred for him to think so, but Nezumi did not want Shion to forget him either. Not now. Not like this.

Nezumi groaned in irritation and dragged a hand across his face. Why was he so worked up about this? For all he knew Shion's condition would sort itself out next time he woke up and Nezumi would feel extremely stupid for having been so worried over nothing. That or he would never regain whatever memories he'd lost and in a worst-case scenario have to start his life in the slums from scratch. There were various middle grounds within those theories, of course, but Nezumi wasn't going to waste time in any more hypothetical scenarios.

It was time to go back, Shion needed him.

He got up slowly, working his cold and stiff muscles into a sitting position, then a crouch, then he was finally standing up and dusting off his clothes.

He started the walk back home. He'd run a fair distance and it would take him a while, but he wasn't in a hurry. He just wanted to get back before the sun came up.

It was a really long night.


	7. Chapter 7

Shion was awake—he had been for a while—but he didn't want to open his eyes.

He thought about the dream he had just before walking up. It wasn't really a dream, it felt more like a memory. Shion remembered seeing a bright light leading him out of the darkness and hearing a voice telling—no, more like commanding him—to continue living. He couldn't remember the exact words, the sound had been muffled as if he where underwater, but the voice had told him to be strong. He didn't know why, but Shion felt a small surge of happiness as he recalled it, and suddenly had the feeling that everything was going to be alright.

But of course, there were a few things he had to sort out first.

He figured he was alone for the moment, since he hadn't heard any movement in the room from the time he woke. But then again, he had a feeling that he wouldn't have been able to hear his benefactor even if he was standing right by his side.

That last conversation kept playing on his mind. It was kind of fuzzy but he could not shake the feeling that he'd done something wrong, that he'd hurt him somehow. Shion didn't quite know why he thought that, but there had been something in the way the other boy had looked at him before leaving the room. He was troubled, and Shion was pretty sure it was because of him.

A soft sigh escaped his lips, there was no use worrying about it right now. He would have a chance to apologise and ask questions later.

Shion finally opened his eyes, noticing immediately that he felt much better. The dim light and the mountains of books cast shadows on the room, making it hard for him to asses his surroundings. He sat up slowly and, once he had a better view, noticed a dark figure laying spread out across the couch. His chest was rising and falling steadily, the rest of him remained unmoving.

Shion carefully moved to sit on the edge of the bed and placed his feet on the cool ground. He was still bruised all over, but he found movement much more manageable since the last time he'd tried. Tentatively, he started resting more and more weight on his feet until he was standing up completely. He felt a slight wave of dizziness and almost fell back onto the bed, but managed to steady himself just in time.

Once he was standing properly he took another look around. The figure on the couch hadn't moved. Apart from some clothing and a few books everything else remained as it was the last time he'd looked.

Shion took the opportunity to walk around, earnestly inspecting the books on the shelves and taking delight on the variety of things he found scattered across the space. It hadn't even occurred to him to go outside until he was standing right in front of the door, and even then he felt as though his feet had carried him without his conscious knowledge. He put a hand on the smooth surface, taking some time to think. 

Surely it'd be okay for him to step out for a couple of minutes? He glanced back at the sleeping figure, not wanting to bother him by disappearing without notice, but also unwilling to wake him for such a small matter. Shion decided he wasn't going to be gone for too long, and with that opened the door and stepped through, into the light of day. 

* * *

The first thing Shion noticed, aside from the stinging coldness of the air, was the massive wall looming over the horizon for as far as he could see.

_I'm not inside No. 6._

He was confused, of course, and slightly troubled over the implications of being outside the city, but he was neither worried nor saddened by the realisation. It was as if part of him didn't find this development in the least bit surprising. He'd always wondered if the day would come when he finally grew tired of the city's façade, but of course had never voiced this out loud, much less thought there was an actual possibility for him to find himself outside. The thought of something having prompted him to leave made him feel slightly uneasy, but he was relieved too, in a way.

With a small smile he started walking through the run-down area, taking in the crumbling buildings and the strange smells carried by the air. This was definitely unlike anything he'd ever experienced inside the city.

Shion had only been walking for a couple of minutes when he spotted something glinting out of the corner of his eye. He decided to walk towards it, and soon enough found himself staring at a spring. The clear water looked incredibly inviting. Shion hadn't realised just how thirsty he was until he was already using his cupped hands to pour the cool liquid into his mouth. After he'd had enough to drink he knelt down closer and washed his face, enjoying the feeling of water against his skin. There was too much wind for him to use the water's surface as a mirror, so he didn't bother trying to check on the state of the small scratches he could feel with his fingertips. He figured he was healing well enough.

It was a beautiful day. Shion sat by the water's edge for longer than he'd intended admiring the scenery—especially the twinkling lights created by the sun's reflection on the spring—and thinking about the chain of events that might have lead him to the here and now. It was only after he noticed his legs had fallen asleep that he decided it was probably time for him to get back. He moved clumsily at first, trying to get his unresponsive legs to cooperate, but quickly adapted a surefooted stride that carried him across the loose stones and depressions in the ground, as if he'd traveled that path a hundred times.

Slowing down as he reached the door, Shion took a moment to catch his breath, realising it was probably the first time in weeks since he'd done so much moving around, and he was dead tired. He straightened out and was about to open the door when it was wrenched from his hands, and a panicked-looking boy barreled through and straight into him. Shion felt himself tumbling backwards from the impact and reached a hand out to balance himself, instead grabbing the fabric of the other's scarf and sending them both sprawling to the ground.

For a moment Shion lay there, staring into those intense grey eyes. Then he heard his voice.

"Shion."

It came out almost breathless, strained. Shion was afraid, just for a moment, that he might start screaming. But then he visibly relaxed, shoulders slumping underneath his mauve scarf and head turning down slightly.

"Come on," he got back to his feet, and stretched out a slender hand for Shion almost as an afterthought. "Let's get you back inside."

Shion nodded and was pulled back on his feet. The other boy didn't let go of his hand until Shion was back inside and on the bed.

"Thank you," Shion said.

"Don't leave like that again," was the response he got. "And go to sleep, you look terrible."

"Can I know your name first?"

He stopped in his tracks, angling his body away from Shion so that he couldn't see his face.

"Call me Nezumi."

Shion was surprised, he didn't think he was going to get an answer.

"Okay," Shion smiled. "Thank you, Nezumi."

"Go to sleep, I'll have some soup ready when you wake up."

Shion nodded once more, still smiling. All the questions he'd come up with while he was at the spring were quickly pushed aside by a comforting feeling. He didn't think twice before resting his head on the pillow and falling asleep, exhausted from the day's trip. 

He had a dream, one he would forget as soon as he woke up, in which he was following a small silver rat through a crowd of people. He pushed past and dodged countless men and women, desperately trying to keep up with the agile rodent. He tried calling out to it, but no matter what he did the crowd always seemed to get thicker and the rat smaller as it got farther and farther away.

Eventually, he was swallowed by the masses and everything went dark. The dream ended.


End file.
